Your Day in the Ancient Greek World

December 16

December 16 in ancient Greece is represented in our source-audited archive by 2 verified records spanning AD 443 to AD 533. Together, the entries below connect this calendar date with different moments in the ancient Greek world through historical and documentary evidence.

Across the centuries

On This Day

  1. AD 443

    Life on This Day

    Constantinople Family & Relationships High

    A Law Links Natural Children to Curial Obligations

    On December 16, AD 443, an imperial law allowed fathers to place natural children in municipal curiae and connect inheritance or gifts with those civic obligations. The law also addressed natural daughters married to curials.

    Sources

    Primary evidence

    • Codex Justinianus 5.27.3

    Modern scholarship

    • University of Wyoming Annotated Justinian Code

    Public links

  2. AD 533

    Event That Shaped History

    Constantinople Law & Civic Life High

    Justinian Promulgates the Digest

    On December 16, AD 533, Justinian promulgated the Digest or Pandects at Constantinople. The constitution Tanta announced the completed compilation and fixed December 30 for its legal force.

    Sources

    Primary evidence

    • Constitutio Tanta / Codex Justinianus 1.17.2

    Modern scholarship

    • University of Wyoming Annotated Justinian Code
    • Thomas M. Banchich, John Marenbon and Charles J. Reid Jr. on the Digest

    Public links